Writing WORKSHOP

Writing is easy – you just stare at a blank piece of paper till your eyeballs bleed!

Brainstorm

• What are your hopes and fears about University level writing?

Writing WORKSHOP

• Writing activity• Reflecting on the activity• What we can do ...• Next steps• Useful resources

Writing Activity

Free writingEach person should have in front of them: • Two sheets of paper: • One, ‘Writing’ - blank, to write upon, • Two, ‘Commentary’ - to note reasons for not

writing • Pens or pencils

The Activity

• When asked, turn to your ‘Writing’ page and write for ten minutes without pause on the question on the next slide.

• If you stop writing for any reason, write that reason, no matter how trivial or insignificant on the ‘Commentary’ sheet.

Now for ten minutes write on:

Winnicott (1971) argued that play is necessary to counteract the implicit threat that occurs when we are in transitional spaces – between worlds, between classes, in alien educational settings. Discuss in relation either to becoming a successful student or becoming a successful teacher.

Reflection (1) What was your reaction to that writing?

Reflection (2) Why did you STOP writing?

Some reasons for stopping:

• Thinking• Searching for a word, spelling, tense• Uncomfortable• Distracted• Couldn’t see the point• Don’t know enough yet

• What are you going to do about this?

Some solutions …

• Get into a good physical & mental space: Be comfortable – your way Accept the task – or fake it!• Brainstorm & plan before you write• Once you start – go with the flow• Don’t stop!• Free write: Do not search for the right word – re-

draft and improve later• Leave gaps – read more after writing.

Reflection (3)

• What do you like about your own academic writing practices?

What staff say:• I discover what I’m thinking• I never quite know where it’s going• I puzzle out my ideas• It’s an exploration• It’s exciting• I am concise and effective• I try to be helpful and useful• It’s teasing out my thinking• I’m incredibly organised• I just plunge in and see where it goes

What UG students say:

I am still not sure if my work is considered academic, I still don’t know what makes one of my essays better than another.

I have been humiliated in ways that I would never have put up with any where else!

Academic language, the kind of language that doesn’t readily flow off my tongue: the type of language I rarely use when speaking to my peers. The type of language that I don’t readily understand and the type of language that means spending hours at a computer turning something quite simple into something that sounds moderately impressive with elitist results.

Can we get you to feel more positive?

Safe spaces to write

Things to think about:• We treat writing differently… If it were sport

or driving or cooking...• Process not product• Craft not perfect• Practise, practise, practise…

Free Writing• Peter Elbow (1998) argues that free-writing

encourages us to write at length without fear of censorship ...

• Frees us to explore a topic• Encourages understanding• Focusses on having something to say - with• Spelling & grammar (3 min) ... The least

important part

NEXT STEPS…Half hour writing every day!•Keep/enjoy a Reading Dossier•Summarise an argument•Explain a concept•Apply a theory •Start a chapter•Keep a learning journal.....

Write – read – think... Try a blog: http://thesiswhisperer.com/2012/12/12/turn-your-notes-into-writing-using-the-cornell-method/ Try CORNELL notes: http://coe.jmu.edu/learningtoolbox/cornellnotes.htmlTry Binge writing:http://patthomson.wordpress.com/2013/01/03/dr-jekyll-writes-binge-writing-as-a-pathological-academic-condition/ Try something really creative:http://www.arts.ac.uk/cetl/visual-directions/Try being a diver writer: http://learning.londonmet.ac.uk/epacks/studyhub/introduction.html

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Writing RESOURCES• EXCELLENT site for linking phrases and for WRITING:

http://www.phrasebank.manchester.ac.uk/ • Ten steps: http://prezi.com/cbaj9e5kised/copy-of-ten-stages-of-assignment-success/• Academic writing month:

http://www.guardian.co.uk/higher-education-network/blog/2012/nov/01/academic-writing-month-acwrimo-research

• The writing pages on the Study Hub – with PACKS!: http://learning.londonmet.ac.uk/epacks/studyhub/introduction.html

• 750 Words: it does what it says on the tin:http://750words.com/

• Written Kitten – new kitten every 100 words! http://writtenkitten.net/

• Essay planning animation – Portsmouth:• http://ondemand.port.ac.uk/central/One_way_to_write_an_essay.wmv • Our writing mini-site:• http://learning.londonmet.ac.uk/TLTC/connorj/WritingGroups/• Essay/report quiz:

http://learning.londonmet.ac.uk/LMBS/study/reports_essays/• Our Preventing Plagiarism course (also in WebLearn):• http://learning.londonmet.ac.uk/TLTC/learnhigher/Plagiarism/